Detour
by Agent-LAH
Summary: Grissom finally gets the motivation he needs to take the next step with Sara.


Detour- by Lena (Agent_LAH) Rating: PG-13  
  
Disclaimer: They're not mine, I just borrowed them for a bit.  
  
Feedback: Yes, please! This is my 1st fanfic, so let me know if I should continue this story, or stop before anymore damage is done. (  
  
Thanks: To Kelly, my super cool beta!  
  
Sara was mulling around in the break room waiting for a case to come in. She made herself a cup of coffee, an action she no longer had to think about. Her body seemed to be on autopilot. It had been a little over a month since she last worked on a case with Grissom.  
  
'Who are you fooling Sidle, it's been a month, three weeks and going on two and a half hours since the start of shift'. She audibly sighed, and let the warmth of the coffee seep in. As Sara began to relax, feet propped up on a chair, she was jarred back to life by the sound of hurried footsteps coming her way.  
  
With his head just sticking through the doorway, a voice rattled the silence. "Ready to go? You're with me tonight."  
  
Sara jumped up, "Umm, yeah. Did I miss you handing out assignments?"  
  
Grissom turned and began to walk down the hall, leaving Sara behind. "Walk and talk, Sara. Walk and talk."  
  
Sara's eyes opened wider and she began to jog down the hallway after Grissom.  
  
"Coffee kick in?" He said with a mild grin and raised eyebrow. Before Sara could comment, he interjected, "To answer your question, no, you haven't missed anything. Nick and Warrick are still working on last night's case. Catherine has the night off."  
  
Approaching his Tahoe, Grissom dug the keys out of his pocket and unlocked the passenger side door. Sara reached for the handle, but his hand beat her to it, opening the door for her. As a reflex he touched her arm, helping her in. The door was shut and left Sara wondering what had gotten into her supervisor. She dismissed it as a mere courtesy, nothing to be read into.  
  
After ten minutes of silent riding, Sara realized that she had no idea where they were going or any details of the case. "So, Gris.are you keeping me in the dark for a particular reason or-" Sara looked at his face, intently focused on the road as he interrupted her.  
  
"Sara." He let out a sigh. There was no way he was going to let her get upset this soon into their night. "I know we've kept our distance as of late. And.I just wanted you to know.I.umm.I've missed.working with you."  
  
"That came out of nowhere," Sara softly said. She paused in thought for a second. "I've missed you too," she said, intentionally leaving out 'working with'. For the first time in quite some time, the two CSIs exchanged genuine smiles, their eyes locking together. Breaking his intense gaze due to her face beginning to flush, Sara looked back to the road. Her eyebrow raised, as she became positively confused.  
  
"Care to explain Grissom?" She said in an amused yet wavering tone.  
  
"And here I thought you were one of my best CSIs," Grissom said holding onto his amused grin.  
  
"My apartment?" She stated the obvious.  
  
"Can't put anything by you, huh?" He delivered deadpan.  
  
"Grissom!" Sara yelled in a playful but still serious manner. "OK, ok," Grissom said, patting the air with his hands in a surrendering fashion. "Truth is, Nicky and Warrick didn't want my help tonight."  
  
"Huh? What's that got to do with my ap-"  
  
"AND," Grissom cut her short, "they got me thinking about you."  
  
'God bless you, Nick and Warrick,' Sara thought while mouthing the words silently. "Ok, still confused here," she said smiling.  
  
Grissom's face changed back to business-like. "Well, their case hit home for me." After a sigh, Sara could see him trying to gather his nerve for something. "DB was found at home alone and- ah, Sara- he had all these old letters and pictures surrounding him of a woman he was in love with."  
  
Sara didn't say a word. Part of her mind took directly to figuring out the case, the other, intently listening to Grissom opening himself up. Finally, she cleared her throat as quietly as possible and questioned, "His wife, ex-wife?"  
  
Grissom sat in the now parked Tahoe, his head hung, looking at the bottom of the steering wheel. "From what the guys have gathered, no- she was just a close friend who he lost touch with. I looked through some of the pictures.she moved away due to some falling out according to the letters. And the DB.err, James Crawford, lost it. He didn't do anything about it. Never wrote her back. He just sat there looking at what he had left of her and died."  
  
Sara exhaled slowly; she didn't realize she had been holding her breath. "Gris," she whispered in a consoling tone.  
  
He looked up at her with glassy eyes and asked, "Am I too late as well?"  
  
Sara's brow furrowed as she gave him a quizzical look.  
  
"You told me that one day it would be too late for.us. Please tell me I'm not too late now."  
  
It was Sara's turn to look down as her eyes began to well up. As if on cue, they both reached out to console each other, their hands locking together. Since neither one of the CSIs were making eye contact while reaching, they immediately looked at each other with comical surprise as their hands met halfway. Sara didn't know what to say, so she unbuckled her seatbelt, leaned over the driver's side, and hugged her boss.  
  
Grissom's posture stiffened for a fraction of a second, but quickly gave into the embrace. Sara's head was resting on his shoulder as her hand touched the side of his neck. Grissom reminded himself to breathe as his thumb began to rub back and forth on her back.  
  
She pulled back and smiled a teary eyed smile, which he began to mirror. "My feelings haven't changed for you. They haven't changed since San Francisco."  
  
"I'm glad." After a sniff, "More than glad, genuinely happy."  
  
"So," Sara said.  
  
"So," Grissom replied, pursing his lips. "That brings us here. Sara, I would very much like to take you to dinner.tonight, tomorrow, whenever you ask. I can wait for you here while you go change."  
  
Sara was taken aback by his words and general emotional state. "I'd love to go to dinner with you, but-"  
  
Grissom's eyes closed for a second or two. 'Christ, nothing good usually comes after but,' he thought.  
  
Sara pressed on, "What if I said no.you drove us to my apartment?!? My apartment? You were counting on me saying yes, weren't you? AND, are we in the middle of a case or what? Our shift is still on. And what about-"  
  
"WOAH, Sara, jeez!" Grissom interrupted the onslaught of her questions.  
  
Sara laughed as she realized how many questions she had just thrown at him, not to mention the wide-eyed look on Grissom's face. "Ok, ok. Come in and we'll talk. AND, I'll change.  
  
"I like you just the way you are, Sara, but ok." Grissom said as he opened the door of the vehicle. Sara proceeded to get out and find her keys.  
  
Once inside her apartment Sara went to the fridge and got them both a bottle of water. Grissom sat on the couch and looked around the apartment. Definitely Sara's; just not very lived in, he noticed. She handed him the water and plopped down on the couch next to him, her legs folded under her.  
  
"Alright, let's have it." She said, inwardly thrilled to have this man in her domain.  
  
Grissom began, "Ok, well, after reviewing the Crawford case I, well.it just gave me the kick in the ass I needed to realize I don't want to loose you because of my lack of communication skills. Err, impediment."  
  
"Hey, it's alright. We don't have to talk about the whys." Sara said due to the fact that she could see Grissom getting a little upset again.  
  
"Thanks," he replied with a twitch of a grin. "Now," Grissom said snapping out of his state. "The truth. Las Vegas is in rare form tonight."  
  
'Vegas isn't the only one,' Sara thought.  
  
He continued, "We didn't have any new cases come in.at least not yet. Nicky and Warrick can hold the fort down. I want to spend the night with you." Realization of what he just said set in immediately. His face turned redder than Sara had ever seen as he fumbled, "OH, uhhh. No, that's not what I meant! Really! I meant dinner tonight. Not going back to work, spending time, yeah, time with you!" He let out a huge sigh and saw Sara convulsing with laughter.  
  
"Alright, alright, laugh it up Miss Sidle.that's right. Hardy har har," he mocked.  
  
Sara began to calm from her laughing fit. "Ok, so dinner, right? I need to change clothes. Any requests?"  
  
Grissom reached out to her and tucked some loose strands of hair behind her ear. His hand did not move away after completing the task, rather, cupped the side of her face, slowly drawing her nearer. Sara's eyes closed, reveling in the warmth of his hand, and what she knew or hoped was about to happen. She willed her eyes open, not wanting to miss a second of seeing him. Grissom moved his head towards hers, until his lips were faintly brushing the side of Sara's mouth. She could feel his warm breath and took in his distinctly Grissom scent. No cologne, not aftershave, simply 'her Gris'. Her eyes fluttered shut again as his lips made contact with hers. The simple chaste kiss overwhelmed them both; the electricity between them seemed tangible.  
  
Pulling back from the kiss, Grissom whispered against her cheek, "My request is fulfilled."  
  
Finding her voice, Sara smiled and touched his chest feeling his fast beating heart. "That's not really what I meant, but wow. How's your pulse doing?"  
  
Grissom smiled in return as his tongue snuck out to lick his bottom lip. "Go get ready. I'll call the guys and let them know we'll see them tomorrow.  
  
Sara nodded and walked away from the living room, back to her room, a huge smile plastered on her face. 'Finally!' Her mind happily yelled. She couldn't wait to get into her room and do a little dance or scream for joy into her pillow.  
  
Back on the couch, Grissom flipped open his phone and highlighted Nick's name. His thumb hovering over the send button, he thought and yes, silently prayed, 'Vegas give me one night's peace.' And called. 


End file.
